Heading on holiday soon and not sure what to do about cigarettes?
It’s the question that every travelling smoker asks themselves. Do I buy cigarettes before I leave? Should I buy cigarettes when I arrive? Or dodge the queues at the airport and order cigarettes online before I travel?
Oh man, there’s a lot to think about. If you pick the wrong approach you’ll either waste serious money… or get detained at customs.
Fear not. Here’s everything you need to know…
Buying Cigarettes For Travel: Your Essential Guide
- Why Cigarette Prices Vary Around the World
- How Much Does it Cost to Buy Cigarettes Abroad?
- Buying Your Own: Understanding the Customs Rules
- Duty Free: To Buy or Not To Buy?
- How (And Why) to Buy Cigarettes Online Before You Travel
Why Cigarette Prices Vary Around the World
Ok, so…
First thing’s first: cigarette prices around the world vary wildly. The difference between the cheapest country and most expensive could not be starker. It’s driven primarily by tax. Governments impose tobacco taxes to make money…and to discourage people from smoking. Places who tax tobacco aggressively make buying cigarettes locally ruinously expensive. Sort of problem when you fly into a country blind.
Europe is always a great example of this. According to recent research, Ireland is the EU’s most expensive country for tobacco lovers, charging €18.94 for a standard pack of 20 cigarettes. Compare that to Bulgaria’s price of €2.77 per packet and you’re looking at nearly 7 times the price. For the same cigarettes.
Head outside Europe and that price disparity only grows. Take Australia. Down Under sits joint-top on the list of most expensive countries for smokers, with cigarettes costing a whopping £23.96 per pack. Partly due to some of the highest tobacco taxes in the world. Conversely, some Southeast Asian countries can be less than a tenth of the price.
Point is… where you’re going matters. Packing your own vs buying cigarettes abroad is hugely dependent on your destination.
How Much Does it Cost to Buy Cigarettes Abroad?
Grabbing cigarettes locally where you’re going sounds easy enough. Cigarettes shops > you walk in > buy some cigarettes > leave. Simple.
Easy doesn’t always mean cheap though. If your chosen destination falls into the expensive bracket locally purchased cigarettes are going to set you back. Far more than buying at home (or buying online before you travel).
Buying cigarettes abroad can also mean brand headaches. Popular brands at home may not be available at the destination. Smokers with strong preferences about what they smoke — elite cigarettes being a great example — will find that their preferred brand isn’t always stocked locally. Buying cigarettes online before travelling not only allows you to know the price up front, but guarantees you’ll get the brand you want before you leave.
Hard to argue with that combo.
Buying Your Own: Understanding the Customs Rules
Time for the important stuff…
Every country has rules about how many cigarettes visitors can bring in duty-free. Exceed those limits (even unknowingly) and you’ll be forced to pay duty on your arrival or see your carton confiscated at customs. Great way to start any vacation…
So how much is allowed?
That all depends on where you’re going:
- USA: Returning US residents can bring back 200 cigarettes (one carton) duty-free if spending 48+ hours out of the country
- UK: If you arrive from a country outside of the EU you can bring 200 cigarettes
- EU (arriving from outside of the EU): Every adult traveller is allowed 200 cigarettes on entry
- Australia: Travellers are restricted to a mere 25 cigarettes
- Canada: Each person over age 18 can bring 200 cigarettes
Notice something about those rules? Pretty much every country allows you to bring in 200 cigarettes… about a carton’s worth. That should cover you for most trips if you’re an average smoker. Head further abroad, or smoke more than that, and things get tricky buying enough cigarettes to cover your whole trip.
A quick note on those that fall below the 200-cigarette mark; cigarettes made specifically for export (identifiable by the lack of legally required health warnings found in the country of manufacture) may receive extra attention from customs officers. Best to check the cigarette packaging requirements of your destination before packing.
Duty Free: To Buy or Not To Buy?
Ah yes, airport duty-free. They know us travellers can’t resist a bargain…
Except duty-free isn’t always the steal it’s chalked up to be. Honestly, it can be. Duty-free cigarettes can save you money, particularly if you’re travelling from a country with high tobacco taxes. Flying out of Ireland? Grabbing cigarettes duty-free before you leave might be the best option. Just don’t get too cute buying more than your destination allows into the country.
Pro-tip: always check your destination country’s cigarette allowances before buying duty-free. There’s no sense bringing in 400 cigarettes if you’ll only be allowed 200.
Speaking of allowances… duty-free should be used sparingly. Think of those airport shops as a way to top up your supply rather than the place to fully kit yourself out. It only really makes sense if your destination allows you to bring in more than you buy.
How (And Why) to Buy Cigarettes Online Before You Travel
And now for the main event…
Buying cigarettes online before you travel is, for most smokers, the cheapest and easiest way to approach buying tobacco whilst flying abroad. Here’s why:
- Price certainty: Buying in advance removes the guesswork. No nasty surprises from dodgy local markups based on your destination’s tax policy.
- Brand availability: Buying your preferred brand online means you know exactly what you’re getting. No need to rely on your destination stocking your favourite brand.
- Easy at customs: You’ll know exactly what you have in your luggage, making it easier to stay within your allowances.
- Arrives before you travel: No panicked dash around the airport or settling for whatever’s sold at the overpriced lobby shop.
Just take note of your trip length, cross-check your destination’s allowances, and order accordingly before you leave. When travelling to expensive destinations (hello Western Europe and Australia) the savings from buying cigarettes online vs buying locally really add up over a week or more of smoking.
See? Sensible stuff.
Ready for Take-Off
Buying cigarettes abroad really doesn’t have to be complicated or a huge expense. Let’s run through the important bits real quick:
- The price of cigarettes varies wildly based on where you’re going — shop around before you assume buying abroad is convenient
- Most countries allow you to bring in 200 cigarettes at customs; Australia allows a mere 25
- Duty free at the airport is only a good deal if you can bring the cigarettes into your destination
- Brand availability varies massively from country to country
- Buy cigarettes online before you travel to save money and arrive with the brand you smoke every day back home
Prepare in advance and you can land in your destination stress-free, without the added cost of shopping at the airport. Plus you get to smoke your preferred brand. Everyone’s a winner.
